Department for Transport

Driving: Mobile Phones

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Vere of Norbiton on 18 May (HL135), whether they intend to conduct another survey of hand-held mobile use by drivers; if so, when they will conduct such a survey; what evidence they have that hand-held mobile phone use while driving is worse amongst young men; and whether they will consider a public information campaign aimed at all drivers including information that using a hand-held phone in stationary traffic is also illegal

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Department is planning to conduct a further observational survey of hand-held mobile phone use later this year. There is evidence from the Department’s own observational survey, from the perception of risk work carried out by THINK!, and from external self-reporting surveys that young males constitute the biggest risk in respect of hand-held mobile phone use. The Department has commissioned further research to understand what drives these attitudes and behaviours; the report will be published in due course. I understand the importance of conveying to drivers the message that they must not use a hand-held mobile phone while stationary in traffic and our recent consultation proposed a change to the Highway Code to make that point. THINK! will consider options for incorporating this message into future campaigns.

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Construction

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact predicted shortages of construction products at the end of the year will have on the (1) progress, and (2) costs, of the construction of HS2.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The availability of construction materials and the price of commodities is regularly reviewed by HS2 Ltd and DfT. Their latest assessments do not predict an impact on the cost and schedule ranges as published in the March 2021 Parliamentary Report.

Pedicabs: Greater London

Baroness Stowell of Beeston: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Vere of Norbiton on 17 March (HL14066), what plans they have touse any legislation introduced in the currentSession of Parliament to enable the regulation of pedicabs in London.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Government remains open to seeking opportunities to introduce legislation that enables the regulation of pedicabs in London, when parliamentary time allows.

Department for Education

Overseas Students: China

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the total number of students from China currently studying in the UK; which universities in the UK have more than 10 per cent of students originating from China; and what estimate they have made of the total amount of money raised annually by universities from students from China.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes data on students enrolled in higher education. Latest statistics refer to the academic year 2019/20.Counts of student enrolments at UK higher education providers are available by level of study and country of domicile for the academic years 2014/15 to 2019/20 in Table 28 of HESA’s Higher Education Student Data pages, available here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/table-28.In the academic year 2019/20, there were 141,870 students enrolled at UK higher education providers who were domiciled in China prior to study.Appended to this answer is a table listing higher education providers where 10% or more of their student body was domiciled in China prior to study in the academic year 2019/20.Financial information available from HESA is not collected for specific countries of origin, so cannot be provided.  HL133_China_domiciled_student_data_by_provider (xls, 54.5KB)

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Greensill: Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their obligations under the European Commission's State Aid Transparency Award Module, whether they plan to publish details of (1) the identity of borrowers, (2) the amounts advanced, and (3) the date of the advances from Greensill Capital, made under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme; and if not, why not.

Lord Callanan: Details of facilities made available under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme will be published where required on the European Commission’s Transparency Aid Module. Further information can be found on the British Business Bank’s website.

Greensill: Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Callanan on 27 April (HL14881), whether they will now answer the question put, namely, how much they have paid or are obliged to pay Greensill Capital in year one interest payments made under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme; what percentage by number and value of such loans extended by Greensill Capital involve higher interest rates than from the average of lenders; and what is the number and value of loans where the interest rate exceeded 14.9 per cent.

Lord Callanan: Recipients of any Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) loans made by any lender are entitled to apply for business interruption payments from the Government which cover the interest and any lender-levied fees in the first 12 months of any CBILS facility. We are unable to provide of a breakdown of CBILS data by lender as this is commercially sensitive for lenders and borrowers. However, data on individual loans will be published where required on the European Commission’s Transparency Aid Module, in due course.

Greensill: Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Callanan on 28 April (HL15066), whether they will now answer the question put, namely,how quickly after accreditation Greensill Capital disbursed Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme funds.

Lord Callanan: Greensill Capital were approved by the British Business Bank in June last year to provide finance through the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), based on criteria set out in the CBILS “Request for Proposals”. The British Business Bank is currently undertaking an investigation into Greensill’s lending under the Covid schemes and as such it would not be appropriate to comment on its lending at this time. While the Bank investigates Greensill’s position, it remains an accredited lender for CBILS, although it has not been able to originate new lending since October 2020.

Greensill: Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Callanan on 29 April (HL15063),what assessment they have made of the impact of the publication by the Bank of England of a Written Submission to theHouse of Commons Treasury Select Committeewhich refers to its communications with German Financial Regulators in the matter of Greensill Bank and Greensill Capital on the accuracy of the Written Answer.

Lord Callanan: I refer the Noble Lord to the answer I gave him on 29 April 2021 to Question HL15063.

Greensill

Lord Sikka: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the collapse of Greensill Capital on the recovery of loans relating to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lord Callanan: The Government and the British Business Bank (Bank) are closely monitoring the situation with respect to Greensill Capital. Lenders offering finance via the Covid-19 loan schemes are expected to adhere to the terms of the guarantee agreement, and the Bank will take appropriate action in the event of non-compliance.

Post Offices: ICT

Lord Sikka: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they have taken, if any, against the(1) designers, (2) sellers, and (3) implementers, of the Horizon software accounting system used by the Post Office.

Lord Callanan: The Government wants to be fully assured that the right lessons are learned for the future, that concrete changes have taken place at Post Office Limited and that this situation will never be repeated. That is why we launched the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry. We will consider the outcomes of the Inquiry in due course and we will not speculate on individual responsibility before the Inquiry has reported. While Post Office Limited is publicly owned, it operates as an independent, commercial business. Therefore, details regarding actions against Fujitsu is an operational matter for Post Office Limited.

Equal Pay: Ethnic Groups

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to make ethnicity pay gap reporting mandatory.

Lord Callanan: The Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities recently published its independent report which included recommendations in relation to ethnicity pay gap reporting. We welcome the opportunity to consider the Commission’s findings on this matter, and to consider them in light of the work that has already taken place within government. As well as consulting on ethnicity pay gap reporting, we have met with businesses and representative organisations to understand the barriers towards reporting and what information should be published. We have also run a methodology testing exercise with a broad range of businesses to better understand the complexities outlined in the consultation. The Government will respond to the Commission’s report in due course.

Satellites: Risk Assessment

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they plan toassess the risks of any increase in the number of satellites in low-orbit, including the risks of (1) light pollution, and (2) debris.

Lord Callanan: Her Majesty’s Government are committed to ensuring the long-term sustainability of outer space and take our international responsibilities around debris mitigation very seriously. The Government is committed to regularly reviewing and assessing risks and uses a robust methodology to ensure that risks are up to date and understood.In carrying out safety assessments under its current licensing process, the UK Space Agency considers operators’ collision avoidance and debris mitigation measures as conducted throughout the entire time the spacecraft remains in orbit around the Earth.The Government also actively participates in a number of multi-lateral fora, including the UN Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and its Subcommittees and the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC), alongside a number of bodies defining safety standards. Within these forums, the Government works collaboratively with its international partners to define the best practice and associated guidelines that will ensure space is accessible for future generations.We are also working with satellite operators, the Royal Astronomical Society, the European Astronomical Society and the International Astronomical Union to understand the impacts of the artificial light generated by satellites and clarify what actions could be taken to mitigate interference for the UK community and our international partners. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, alongside the UK Space Agency, will continue to support the UK science and astronomy community.

British Home Stores: Company Liquidations

Lord Sikka: To ask Her Majesty's Government what fees have been charged by the liquidators of BHS; and when the liquidation is likely to be finalised.

Lord Callanan: The most recent joint liquidators’ report for the period ending 1 December 2020, filed at Companies House in relation to SHB Realisations Limited (formerly BHS Limited), shows that fees were drawn in the sum of £4,858,117. Anthony Wright and Geoffrey Rowley of FRP Advisory LLP are the joint liquidators. We have not yet been informed as to when they expect to conclude the liquidation.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Local Government Boundary Commission for England

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the role and responsibilities of the Local Government Boundary Commission for England will be affected by the inspection of Liverpool City Council.

Lord Greenhalgh: The Local Government Boundary Commission for England, an independent Parliamentary body, is responsible for deciding, and implementing by order subject to a Parliamentary process, warding arrangements and council size as part of their electoral reviews of local government areas. The Commission, when undertaking their electoral review of Liverpool, will have an interest in the recommendations of the Best Value Inspection Report into Liverpool City Council that relate to warding and council size. These issues, however, are entirely a matter for the Commission to decide in accordance with their existing statutory responsibilities.

Construction: Certification Quality Marks

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to prepare for when both the CE and UK Conformity Assessed markings will be accepted for construction materials; how they will ensure there are enough testing facilities for each type of product; and how many new testing facilities they estimate will be required for products that are currently tested in the EU.

Lord Greenhalgh: Since January 2021, construction products that meet UK requirements and bear the UK Conformity Assessed (UKCA) mark can be placed on the market in Great Britain. To provide sufficient time for businesses to transition to the new requirements and to ensure that the supply of construction materials continues to meet demand, construction products can continue for a time-limited period to be placed on the market in Great Britain without any need for reassessment or re-marking if EU requirements are met - this includes products bearing the CE marking.The Government is working closely with industry to help them manage these changes for all goods sectors, including construction products. There are capacity and capability constraints for UK conformity assessment bodies to assess construction products against some UK designated standards. We are working with industry to identify the right support, and any interventions that may be required, to ensure that products can continue to be placed on the market in Great Britain.However, businesses must prepare for the end of recognition of the CE mark in Great Britain, and affix the UKCA marking using a UK-recognised approved body. Guidance explaining the necessary actions for businesses to take was published in September, and legislation to enable this came into force on 31 December 2020. We have engaged extensively with stakeholders to assess issues and develop mitigations, including for Assessment and Verification of Constancy of Performance (AVCP) system 3 products. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government will soon be updating its guidance to provide further detail on what industry must do to prepare for the end of recognition of the CE mark in Great Britain for construction products.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Jerusalem: Violence

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the statement by the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches of Jerusalem on 11 May that the violence in Jerusalem "violates the sanctity of the people of Jerusalem and of Jerusalem as the City of Peace"; and what plans they have to call on relevant parties (1) to halt further violence, and (2) to ensure the safety of worshippers.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is clear that the violence against peaceful worshippers and must stop. Respect for the historic Status Quo at the Holy Sites in Jerusalem is important at all times. We encourage all parties to maintain calm, avoid provocation and uphold the Status Quo to ensure the safety and the security of the Al Haram Al Sharif/Temple Mount and all who worship there.The UK welcomes the announcement of a ceasefire in Israel and Gaza on 20 May, which is an important step to ending the cycle of violence and loss of civilian life. The UK worked actively to urge the parties to work with mediators towards an immediate ceasefire. We fully supported Egyptian, Qatari and UN efforts, working closely with the US. The Foreign Secretary visited Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories on 25 and 26 May for talks with senior leaders following the ceasefire. During his visit the Foreign Secretary met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and reiterated the UK's firm commitment to the two-state solution as the best way to permanently end the occupation, deliver Palestinian self-determination and preserve Israel's Jewish and democratic identity.

Palestinians: Elections

The Lord Bishop of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Palestinian Authority about that Authority's decision to postpone elections to the Palestinian Legislative Council.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are disappointed that elections in the Occupied Palestinian Territories have been postponed. The Palestinian people should be allowed to enjoy their democratic rights - and Israel must allow voting for Palestinians in East Jerusalem, in line with the Oslo Accords. We will continue to encourage the Palestinian leadership to work toward strong, inclusive, accountable and democratic institutions, based on respect for the rule of law and human rights. Elections are long overdue and we urge the swift setting of a new date.

International Organisations: Antisemitism

Baroness Altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to promote the adoption by international bodies of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's working definition of antisemitism.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is an active member of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) and is represented by the UK's Post Holocaust Issues Envoy Lord Eric Pickles. The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance cooperates closely with other intergovernmental bodies that include Holocaust-related issues as part of their mandate, including the United Nations, UNESCO, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) and actively encourages them and other international bodies to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's working definition of antisemitism.

Israel: Sanctions

Baroness Altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether theyoppose initiatives at the United Nations which promote boycotts, divestment and sanctions against the government of Israel.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is strongly opposed to the Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions Movement against Israel. While we do not hesitate to express disagreement with Israel whenever we feel it necessary, we are firmly opposed to boycotts/sanctions.We believe that open and honest discussions, rather than imposing sanctions or supporting anti-Israeli boycotts, best supports our efforts to help progress in the peace process and achieve a negotiated solution.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

South Africa: Hunting

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of South Africa about the banning of hunting of (1) lions, and (2) other so-called "trophy” animals.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: This Government takes the conservation of endangered species in the UK and internationally very seriously, which is why we will be banning the import of hunting trophies from endangered species. Officials have engaged with a range of stakeholders to inform our approach on this matter, including officials from the Government of South Africa. Our approach will be comprehensive, robust and effective, and we will deliver the change we promised to deliver to help protect thousands of species worldwide. We will be setting out our detailed plans soon.

Cats: Tagging

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many responses were receivedto their consultation on the microchipping of cats.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The consultation on the microchipping of cats closed on 17 February 2021 and attracted 33,423 responses. Defra is currently analysing responses to the consultation and will publish a response and proposals later this year.

Recycling

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have madetowards improving recycling and reuse in England; and what steps they have taken to ensure their policies in this regard are compatible with the policies of (1) the Welsh Government, and (2) the Scottish Government.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The 2018 Resources and Waste Strategy sets out the Government’s ambitions for increased resource efficiency and a more circular economy in England. These ambitions require changes in how we produce and consume products and materials, as well as how we treat and dispose of them at end-of-life. Waste is a devolved issue and the devolved administrations have their own arrangements for waste prevention, household recycling and waste collections. Our Waste Prevention Programme (WPP) for England has been in place since 2013, outlining actions for the Government, industry and others around the top of the waste hierarchy. This focuses on how to prevent waste, for instance through reusing goods and materials already in the system. We are now consulting on a new WPP for the future – Towards a Resource Efficient Economy. This will help Government departments as well as industry work together to accelerate action in this area for the future. Ministers in the devolved administrations are fully aware of our consultation on a new WPP, and the policy proposals it contains are being discussed at official level. We are also consulting on our collection and packaging reforms: consistency in collections for recycling, Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging (EPR) and a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). Our reform to consistent collections will make recycling easier and ensure that there is a comprehensive, consistent service across England. This will help to reduce confusion with recycling, ensure that there is more recycled material in the products we buy and that the UK recycling industry grows. It would also constitute a significant step towards meeting our 25 Year Environment Plan commitment to eliminate avoidable waste by 2050 and contribute towards meeting our commitment of 65% of municipal (household-like) waste to be recycled by 2035. Our DRS will ensure that significantly more drinks bottles and cans are recycled and reused and not condemned to landfill or littered in our communities. With consumers paying a small deposit when purchasing an in-scope drinks container, they will be incentivised to take their empty bottle or can to a return point to get their deposit back. The DRS will be for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with a separate scheme under development in Scotland, although we will continue work to ensure that both schemes can operate coherently together. Our EPR scheme for packaging will apply across the UK and will see producers meeting the full net cost of managing the packaging that they place on the market once it becomes waste. Higher fees will be paid by those producers who use packaging that is more difficult to recycle or reuse, producers will need to meet higher recycling targets, and we are proposing that firms will be incentivised to reduce litter and keep our communities clean.

Marine Animals: Animal Welfare

Baroness Hayman of Ullock: To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) what progress they have made strengthening legal protections for farmed aquatic animals at the time of slaughter, and (2) what plans they have to introduce (a) specific protections in Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing regulations, or (b) any other legislation in this area.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: Regulation 1099/2009 on the protection of animals at the time of killing requires that farmed fish are spared avoidable pain, distress or suffering during their killing and related operations. Now we have left the EU we have the opportunity to consider whether detailed regulation is needed. We have recently concluded a review of the welfare of animals at the time of killing legislation and this identified potential improvements that might be made, including on the welfare of farmed fish at slaughter. We are carefully considering issues raised in the review.

Animal Welfare

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to establish a register of those convicted of cruelty to animals; and if so, when such a register will be established.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The Government takes the issue of animal welfare very seriously. The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 (the Act) was granted Royal Assent on the 29 April 2021. This realises the Government’s manifesto commitment to increase the sentences available to our courts for the most serious cases of animal cruelty. The Act will come into force on the 29 June 2021 increasing the maximum custodial penalty for animal cruelty offences to five years’ imprisonment, providing one of the toughest sanctions in Europe and strengthening the UK's position as a global leader on animal welfare. The strengthened penalty sends a clear message that animal cruelty is not tolerated in this country. All relevant information relating to prosecutions for animal cruelty offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 is stored on the Police National Computer. Certain organisations have access to this information, where appropriate to fulfil their public functions. This allows this important information to be securely protected from misuse, and also for it to be available for organisations with a justified need to access this information. In light of this, there are no current plans to establish a public register of those convicted of cruelty to animals.

Home Office

Unexplained Wealth Orders

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Unexplained Wealth Orders have been issued in each jurisdiction of the UK since their introduction.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Unexplained Wealth Orders have been granted in four cases to date; all of those have been in England and Wales. No Unexplained Wealth Orders have been granted in Scotland.

Criminal Finances Act 2017: Northern Ireland

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask Her Majesty's Government on what date the Criminal Finances Act 2017 will be brought into force in Northern Ireland.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: It is my intention that the outstanding provisions in the Criminal Finances Act 2017 will be commenced on 28 June 2021. This is subject to Parliamentary approval.

Proceeds of Crime: Northern Ireland

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the value of proceeds of crimes which have not been seized in Northern Ireland as a result of the delay in the operation of the Criminal Finances Act 2017.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Law Enforcement in Northern Ireland have a range of appropriate and effective powers available to them to recover criminals’ ill-gotten gains.No formal assessment has been made as to the value of proceeds of crime which have not been seized as a result of the delay in operation of the Criminal Finances Act 2017 to Northern Ireland.

Police and Crime Commissioners: Costs

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the annual cost of each Police and Crime Commissioner; and what assessment they have made of the value added to policing from the election of Police and Crime Commissioners.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: On 4 February 2021, the Government published a total police funding settlement of up to £15.8 billion in 2021/22. Individual costs associated with PCC offices are available via individual Statement of Accounts online.PCC salaries are set by the Home Secretary, taking into account a recommendation from the Senior Salaries Review Body, and reflect the size of the police force they oversee. As a locally elected and democratically accountable individual, it is up to them how they decide to balance their expenditure on their policing and crime priorities and on their office functions.Since their inception, PCCs have brought real accountability to how Chief Constables and their forces perform. They are supporting hundreds of local community groups, charities and partnerships by funding innovative projects to cut crime, intervene early and make people safer.Overall, PCCs have presided over a reduction in crime to record lows with crimes traditionally measured by the Independent Crime Survey for England and Wales down by well over a third since 2010.

Slavery: Victims

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many potential victims of modern slavery referred into the National Referral Mechanism who received positive reasonable grounds decisions were (1) perpetrators of serious criminality, and (2) found to have a vexatious claim.

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what impact assessments they have conducted of their New Plan for Immigration policy paper, published on 24 March, on the protection and rights of victims of modern slavery as set out in (1) section 45 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, (2) the 2005 Council of Europe Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings, (3) the EU Directive on Human Trafficking (Directive 2011/36/EU), and (4) the European Convention on Human Rights.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The UK is committed to ensuring victims of modern slavery are identified quickly and provided with the support they require to start to rebuild their lives.More potential victims are being identified and protected than ever before. National Referral Mechanism (NRM) referrals more than doubled between 2017 and 2020 from 5,135 to 10,613. There is more information on referrals available at: Modern Slavery: National Referral Mechanism and Duty to Notify statistics UK, end of year summary 2020 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)In March 2021, the Government published a report on issues raised by people in immigration detention. This provides data on some of the concerns we are seeking to address through the New Plan for Immigration. This is available at: Issues raised by people facing return in immigration detention - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).There are concerns about the potential for a referral to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) to be used to frustrate Immigration Enforcement processes or to gain access to support inappropriately. For example, there has been a growth in NRM referrals being made after a person enters immigration detention. In 2019, 16% of people detained within the UK following immigration offences were referred as potential victims of modern slavery. This is up from just 3% in 2017.This raises legitimate concerns that some referrals are being made late in the process to frustrate immigration action and that legitimate referrals are not being made in a timely way. The New Plan for Immigration will address both concerns.We are currently preparing an Impact Assessment (IA) for all elements of the Borders Bill which aims to appraise impacts of the policy changes being introduced. This appraisal is in line with HMT’s Green Book Guidance on economic appraisal and will include the modern slavery measures. Exact timings for the IA will depend on timings for the Bill itself, but the IA will be made available as early as is practicable.We are also comprehensively assessing the equalities impacts in line with the Public Sector Equality Duty.

Treasury

Sheffield City Region Combined Authority: Borrowing

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government when theywill decide on (1) Sheffield City Region’s borrowing plans announced in March, and (2) a debt cap agreed by the Treasury and Sheffield City Region.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: HM Treasury will engage with the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority regarding with the proposed borrowing plans and the agreement of a debt cap. The time it will take to agree the debt cap and assess the borrowing plans will depend on the information provided to HM Treasury and the outcome of negotiations between the department and Sheffield City Region.

Kuflink

Lord Sikka: To ask Her Majesty's Government on whatdates the tripartite meetings between the Financial Conduct Authority, directors of Kuflink Ltd and related entities, and their auditors took place; and what was discussed at each such meeting.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: This is a matter for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which is operationally independent from Government. The question has been passed on to the FCA. The FCA will reply directly to the noble Lord by letter. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Banks: Government Assistance

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether (1) HSBC, (2) Standard Charter, (3) Jardine Matheson, or (4) the Swire Group, have benefited from (a) the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, (b) the Recovery Loan Scheme, (c) the COVID-19 Corporate Financing Facility provided by the Bank of England, or (d) business rates relief.

Lord Agnew of Oulton: For claims since 1 December 2020, HMRC publishes information about employers who claim through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) on a monthly basis, on gov.uk. The Recovery Loan Scheme (RLS) launched on 6 April 2021 and is administered by the British Business Bank via a diverse network of accredited commercial lenders, of which HSBC are one. None of these firms are or have previously been listed in the Bank of England’s published data on firms with outstanding commercial paper in the COVID-19 Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF). This data is available on the Bank of England’s website. The Government has also provided business rates relief to eligible properties in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors, and nurseries. It is for local authorities to determine eligibility for reliefs having regard to guidance issued by the Government. Central government does not hold any information on which businesses are in receipt of relief.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Swimming: Children

Baroness Hoey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reduction in the numbers of children learning to swim due to the closure of swimming pools in the past year.

Baroness Barran: The Government does not collect data from schools on how many pupils are able to swim, but data from Sport England's annual Active Lives Children Survey provides the government with a national picture. Data for academic year 19/20 show that 77% of children in year 7 report they can swim 25m. Swimming and water safety is an important part of the primary PE curriculum. The government is committed to ensuring that all children leave primary school with vital swimming and water safety skills. The PE and sport premium can be used by primary schools to support swimming and water safety, for example through 'top-up' lessons or additional teaching training. We provide schools with the flexibility to decide how to spend their premium in line with conditions of grant and do not collect data on proportion or amount of spend for any given activity. In addition to the PE and sport premium, schools are able to access new virtual water safety lessons from Oak National Academy and the Department will be supporting the Royal Life Saving Society UK's Drowning Prevention Week in June 2021. The government has provided an additional £10.1m to improve use of school sport facilities, including swimming pools. New resources to support children with SEND learning to swim and knowing how to be safe in and around the water have been developed through the Inclusion 2020 grant, which is led by the Youth Sport Trust. These resources are available on Swim England's inclusion hub.

Football Foundation: Schools

Baroness Hoey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of schools that have benefited from Football Foundation funding that have withdrawn community access from their facilities.

Baroness Barran: The Government does not collect detailed central information on individual schools opening facilities to the community. However, engagement and impact on the wider community is evaluated as part of the Football Foundation application and evaluation process. We are encouraging more schools to open their facilities to the community and have provided £10.1 million this year to support their reopening as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.

National Lottery Community Fund: Schools

Baroness Hoey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of schools that have benefited from the National Lottery Community Fund but which have withdrawn community access to their facilities.

Baroness Barran: In the past five years the National Lottery Community Fund has granted funding to a total of 3,221 schools and educational bodies in the UK. The National Lottery Community Fund monitors its live grants to ensure they meet the purpose and outcomes for which the funding was intended. The Fund is not aware of any current projects where community access to a school or educational body’s facilities was an expected outcome of the grant and has subsequently not been made available, outside of COVID-19 restrictions.

Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage

Lord Foster of Bath: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Barran on 17 May (HL33), when they expect to make a decision about whether or not to ratify the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Baroness Barran: Whilst we are not able to give any specific timings, we are exploring the merits of ratifying the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, as a potential addition to the broad range of support measures which already exist for this vital aspect of our nation’s life. The Government keeps all such matters under review.

Politics and Government

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to defend British (1) history, (2) culture, and (3) values, from individuals and organisations that see themselves as 'woke'.

Baroness Barran: Government does not condone airbrushing of our history by removing memorials to our complex past. Government has been clear that rather than erasing objects, we should seek to contextualise or reinterpret them in a way that enables the public to learn about them in their entirety, however challenging this may be. This position is supported by the government’s statutory advisor on heritage matters, Historic England.

Proof of Identity: Digital Technology

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to assist businesses in creating digital identity services.

Baroness Barran: In 2020 the Government committed to creating a framework of standards, governance, and legislation to enable a UK Digital Identity market. DCMS published a draft Trust Framework in February this year setting out the government’s vision for the rules governing the future use of digital identities. A next iteration is expected to be published this summer. We continue to work on proposals for legislation that will underpin the digital identity market and will consult on these later this year.

Internet: Fraud

Baroness Altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plansthey have to protect the public from financial scams and fraud promoted by online platforms; whether such plans include preventing such platforms from profiting from fraudulent operators or scammers; and if so, how.

Baroness Barran: My department has been considering how online advertising is regulated through its Online Advertising Programme, and will be consulting on this issue later this year. The government will set out its plans in the consultation.Our aim is to foster fair, accountable and ethical online advertising that works for citizens, businesses and society as a whole. In particular, we want to ensure standards about the placement and content of advertising can be effectively applied and enforced online so that consumers have limited exposure to harmful or misleading advertising.As part of our departure from the EU HM Treasury removed an exemption to the financial promotions regime available to online platforms for incoming electronic communications from the EU.As a result of that change, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is looking at the operations of the major online platforms to determine whether their communication of financial promotion is subject to the financial promotions restriction, and if so, whether they are compliant. Where they are not, the FCA will take action to ensure consumers are protected. HM Treasury is supporting the FCA in these conversations going forward.